


Fate and Freedom

by Robiness



Series: Fate Flowing [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Canon parallels, Developing Relationship, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:53:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23729332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robiness/pseuds/Robiness
Summary: Once you make eye contact with your soulmate, you gain access to their thoughts, feelings, and sight.Yang Xiao Long doesn't really care about all that, but then Blake Belladonna turned out to be her soulmate, and suddenly she cared. Damn it, shecared.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Fate Flowing [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1709158
Comments: 9
Kudos: 192





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a series now. I'm thinking one installment for all the implied ships in Part 1. You don't need to read that one to understand this, but I'd appreciate if you did! <3

The idea of soulmates filled Yang with… nothing. A little dread maybe, on honest, vulnerable nights, but mostly indifference. 

The fact that her birth mother left them all, though, that filled her with… something. Confusion? Hurt? Longing for someone who never bothered to meet her? Guilt for something she couldn’t control as a baby?

Whatever it was, it was never the white-hot fury that everyone expected from her. Yang Xiao Long was full of fire and proud of it. She never held back from demanding what she wanted, and in this case, she would be justified.

She _wanted_ to be enraged.

But…

But what if _Raven_ was justified? What if she had a reason to leave her family behind? What if... Yang could somehow fix all of it? Repair some of the damage?

Whys and what ifs. She knew she was in danger of losing herself to those questions, but she needed answers more than she wanted to be angry.

All Yang got from her uncle was that his sister left because Tai wasn’t her soulmate, and that was it. That was it, no note, no last message... Sometimes she _was_ mad, mad at her mom, mad at her father and her uncle, and sometimes mad at the part of her that was a little girl crying for her mommy. 

Raven left, apparently to find a permanent connection elsewhere.

What was so important about soulmates, anyway? Does one person matter above everyone else in life? Will Yang have to reject everyone she becomes close to just because there _might_ be someone molded perfectly to fit her side?

Nah, that wasn’t for her. She didn’t _need_ that. 

Besides, there was that old saying about blood ties. Wasn’t that important, too? Was Raven’s flesh and blood less important than a wistful possibility? It didn't make sense. 

On the other hand... Summer had loved Yang as much as she did the rest of them. While she was alive, it _never_ mattered that they didn’t share blood. Even on the bad days. Even though Yang only found out about her birth mother after Summer was gone, her memories were too happy and full of love to be tarnished by the revelation.

Fate didn’t decide who you loved, of that much Yang was sure. What, will Ruby one day become less significant just because of a random person? They only shared 50% of their being, but Yang would punch anyone who asked why they didn’t use the term “half-sister”. (She already has.)

Oh, she’d really like a stranger to _try_ and take her sister’s place. Not only will Yang blow them to smithereens, Ruby would probably get a few good shots in, too. It'd be a great laugh.

So no, a soulmate was a distant thought, a vague concept, and Yang lived without feeling the urge to stare into the eyes of everyone she met. (Also because it was kinda rude and made her feel mildly unpleasant when a school mate did it to her.)

True, she had her own shit to carry, but waiting around for something you wanted? Yang Xiao Long didn’t work that way: she demanded, she blasted, she burned her way through.

And she would make sure it was _worth it._

* * *

“Hellooo!” she cheerfully called out to the black-haired girl reading by the candlelight. She presented her sister (who was trying to pull away, but Yang always had the stronger grip in physical exams) proudly. “I believe you two may know each other?”

Ruby fumbled with the introductions, and she realized that since they were always in different years, she’d never really seen how her sister met classmates. Huh.

“What are you doing?” she whispered. 

“Idontknowhelpme”

Well, pity the dumbass that ever said Yang wasn’t an awesome sister. “So, what’s your name?” she asked the other girl whose gaze had returned to her book.

The girl side-eyed her briefly. “Blake.” 

Unperturbed, Yang carried on. “Well, Blake, I’m Yang, Ruby’s older sister.” She noticed that Blake’s hair was still neatly made up despite the time. “I like your bow!”

“Thanks.”

“It goes great with your… pajamas!” she continued good-naturedly. Blake’s aesthetic was a little too dark for Yang’s tastes but the girl herself _was_ kinda cute. From this awkward angle, at least. (The girl was also being very cold, but maybe she was just socially inept like Ruby.)

“Right.”

Yang glanced back at Ruby, who was biting her lip nervously. Mhm. For Ruby, Yang was going to melt that ice facade whether this person liked it or not. “Nice night, don’t you think?”

“Yes,” was the strained reply. Good! Straining always meant something was close to breaking! Yang would know. “It’s… lovely. Just as lovely as this book…” Okay, yes, going somewhere… “Which I will continue to read. As soon as you leave.”

Darn. Oh well. Lost cause.

To be fair, Ruby managed herself well enough after that, talking about the book and whatnot. Yang's little sister really didn’t give herself enough credit.

* * *

Man, _finally_ some action, she thought, flying through the air using her gauntlets. She loved this, the thrill of freedom, her body moving and spinning and soaring in time with her whims. 

She laughed even as she crashed. Damn, living was fun!

... Walking through the silent forest was less fun, but she got her blood warmed up soon enough. The shitty Ursa even gave her a chance to let off some steam, before Blake cut in.

Very badass, but also: “I could’ve taken hi-” Yang began petulantly, but froze when she met amber eyes.

Ozpin said that the first person they made eye contact with would be their partner, and she was prepared for that eventuality.

She _wasn’t_ prepared for the shock that ran through her body, and the sight of _herself through another’s eyes._

“Fuck,” she said, mostly in confusion, as her body filled up with energy more potent than her adrenaline rush earlier. "That's... trippy."

There was horror emanating from Blake and Yang unconsciously probed for the reason, and she felt Blake’s regret in specifically following the loud, hot blonde (flattering), desperation to cover up _something_ , which of course making her think of it even more, resulting in Yang seeing—

Oh. 

Blake froze, waiting.

 _Don’t worry! I won’t tell,_ she thought through weird mushiness of her brain, trying to retract herself from the onslaught of information Blake didn’t want her to know (and therefore kept coming up).

Embarrassingly, she fell to her knees, clutching her head, and felt Blake’s panic shift to concern. 

“Are you—” Yang _saw_ Blake’s hand reach for her inclined head, then hesitate due to the memory of Yang going ballistic over her hair. Without looking, Yang reached for her wrist and squeezed, making the other girl — her _soulmate —_ relax. 

“It’s a little much, I guess,” Blake said about the memories and feelings she was trying so hard to repress, more for Yang’s sake now than to hide anything incriminating. "Sorry?"

Yang chuckled a bit. “I should’ve known you had a lot of baggage despite the emo attitude. Or it should’ve tipped me off in the first place, I guess.” Her mind drifted to Raven, and her own history. Yang let it flow between them, trying to be open in exchange for how Blake’s privacy was brutally ripped open without warning.

This new knowledge was something that Yang wished she hadn’t violently claimed for herself.

_You didn’t mean it._

_Doesn’t make it suck any less._

Opening up for the connection seemed to make her feel better. Blake gently projected calm and solidity and the new weight in her mind became almost comfortable. The acclimatizing presence curled itself into her mind like a sleeping... kitten.

“I was hoping no one would find out,” the Faunus said quietly. "Not during initiation, at least."

 _I guess..._ “The cat’s out of the bag,” Yang quipped, feeling much more like herself despite the foreign feelings. _But don’t worry, oh partner of mine, for your secret is safe with me!_

Blake huffed, but couldn’t dispute that because she _knew_ Yang was telling the truth, making Yang inordinately pleased.

* * *

_Oooh, rich kid,_ Yang sent after Blake got too deep into painfully thinking of her parents. That was quickly becoming a habit of hers, trying to make Blake feel better with cheerful distraction. She couldn’t hide her intentions from her soulmate, unfortunately, but at least Blake didn’t take offense. She might even say that the girl appreciated it.

_I do appreciate it, you're just really unobservant sometimes._

Yang snorted. _I see we’re airing out the naughty words._

It wasn’t exactly surprising, but Blake’s head turned out to be filled with more substance than Yang expected from the average teenager. 

_That_ your _head isn't full of inanity is surprising to me,_ Blake teased. She was also more playful than predicted. When she wasn’t brooding, that is, but Yang was figuring out the formula for that, too.

_What’s that supposed to mean?!_

_I didn’t know the Schnee heiress was in my head._ It was another joke yet... she wasn’t sure which of them was the source of the soggy bitterness that followed.

What she’d discovered of Blake’s world and its injustices affected her and not just because of the soulmate link. She knew evil existed... finding out it was worse than she imagined left a disgusting taste in her mouth. She may not aim to be a hero like Ruby did, but she still had a heart. She was revolted that apparently, many didn't.

Blake tried to distract her by continuing to read their class assignment, because Weiss was warmer than she acted and she was their friend. 

“They’re doing the thing again,” Ruby mock-whispered across the lunch table. Yang sent a flying kiss to her sister, then caught the surprise nugget Nora threw into her mouth. 

She felt Blake’s nose wrinkle as if it were her own. “The tasting thing sometimes isn’t worth it,” she said out loud for the benefit of the group.

 _I won’t eat tuna for the rest of my life!_ Yang stuck her tongue out at her. "Picky."

Blake graced her with a small smile. “At least Professor Port said that in time we’ll learn to manage what sensations to pay attention to.”

They had to inform the school administration about their new connection, since there was protocol to be followed in such circumstances. For one thing, they weren’t allowed to watch each other’s one-on-one matches anymore, to lessen the chance of cheating. When Yang pointed out that she’d still see what Blake saw, they were told that at least neither of them would have the advantage of a second angle to observe the opponent. 

“It’s kinda dumb,” Nora commented about that particular adjustment, leaning forward. “You’ll be soulmates forever anyway, you’ll always have an advantage. Why not maximize it from the start?”

Yang missed her wistful glance towards Ren, but Blake didn’t. Advantage, indeed.

“It’s probably more efficient for grading them as individual students,” Weiss cut in, primly wiping her fingers with a napkin. “Soulmates will have different sets of exams, too, according to Professor Port, though they can’t really do anything about recitation and most in-class work. It's just a handful of students, after all.”

“Perfect enough for me,” Yang said, gesturing towards the textbooks Blake had on the table. “No need for most of the boring stuff.”

_If you were a Faunus, you’d be a parasite._

_Oh, but honey, when I said perfect, I meant you too._

Blake blushed profusely, much to the amusement of their friends. 

“Does that mean you two could use each other’s weapons?” Ruby asked excitedly, ignoring the suggestive teasing, much to Blake’s relief. “I mean, since you’re in each other’s heads, you’d have access to all the good stuff like technique and inside knowledge, right?” Yang felt a rush of fondness for her sister. Man, even as she grew into a strong leader, Ruby would always be fucking precious.

Yang delighted in Blake's silent agreement.

“Probably one day,” Blake told Ruby, warily thinking of Ember Celica’s weight on Yang’s wrists. 

Yang put a hand to her chest in mock dismay. _My babies aren’t your type?_

Blake ignored her, but was amused and trying to hide it. Yang leaned her head against her fist and sent pleased smiles her way for the rest of the meal.

 _Good thing you're_ my _type._

_Shut up, Yang._

* * *

It was weird to argue with someone who basically heard every argument before you could finish forming them. Feelings were easier to navigate, and Blake was feeling a _lot_ of resentment about Yang’s supposed stubbornness. 

_Pot called the kettle Blake._ Ooh. Nice. Yang mentally pat herself on the back for that one despite the tense situation.

Blake glared at her, far too pale.

 _One night, come on_ , Yang urged. _Look at yourself._ She examined the other girl very closely, showing the sickly pallor, the thinness, the bags under her eyes. 

“One night is enough time for everything to get ruined! For our enemies to attack!”

 _Blake,_ Yang pleaded, taking the shaking hands in hers, letting the other feel her agreement regarding the gravity of the situation. Her support, her understanding. But also her concerns, and what she knew about burning yourself out. “I know you’re used to taking action yourself, of always moving forward against all odds, but this is _different._ ” _You’ve got a support system now._ She brushed away the thought of that Adam guy. _You’ve got_ me _now._ _And I’m not telling you to stop —_

“You don’t understand! I’m the only one who can do this!”

Yang felt her eyes flash red. Fine, they’ll _both_ ignore the link then, if that'd make Blake pay attention to her words. “No, _you_ don’t understand! If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?”

“I’d fight him!” And she would, the thought fueling Yang's ire. 

"You'd _lose._ "

Blake opened her mouth to protest, and Yang pushed her shoulders firmly. In Blake’s weakened state, she was too slow to brace herself and she lost balance.

_Fight me, then._

_What?_ was the annoyed thought, the other girl having been startled into tap into their minds. 

Yang pushed the teacher’s table to the side, creating space on the podium. _Spar with me, no weapons. If you manage to knock me down, I’ll get off your case._

She felt Blake’s extreme irritation at the confidence in her defeat, but she knew Yang wouldn't give up. Yang didn’t bother to hide her feelings either, she was pretty sure she could sweep the floor with Blake in ten seconds flat. And she was even planning to hold back in account of the handicap.

Blake hissed and pounced on Yang’s back in retaliation, uncaring of sportsmanship. Yang calmly turned to block, and her knee swiftly managed to dig into Blake’s back, the other’s arm twisted around her back and her face to the floor. 

It took less than five seconds. 

Yang felt Blake’s shame turn her stomach. She quickly let go and pulled her into a hug. _One-upping you wasn’t the point, Blake._ _You know you can take me at your best._ Yang squeezed her tighter, heart filling up further when Blake leaned against her. _I’m not telling you stop, but please… Get some rest. Not just for you, but for the people who love you._

Blake hadn’t given in despite everything, but she _was_ acknowledging Yang’s concerns now. _But..._

Eventually, reluctantly, she couldn’t resist the pull of sleep and nodded off in Yang's arms before making a coherent decision.

Yang watched her for a while, mesmerized. The other half of her mind was quiet now, but Yang could feel each breath Blake took in her slumber. Shifting her weight and lifting Blake up bridal style, she marveled at the trust being presented to her at the moment. 

Don't call Yang a sap, but... damn it, Blake was the only one who could make her totally relaxed without any effort. It was gratifying to see that it went both ways. Slowly, as to not disturb her soulmate, she made her way back to the dorms so that Blake could sleep in a proper bed.

* * *

The dance turned out as awesome as they'd planned. Good thing she vetoed half of Weiss' plans. She looked hot, and Blake was radiant. Even the adults seemed to be enjoying themselves. Ruby managed a few dances with Penny despite the heels. (She wished she could take credit for Team JNPR's dance number, but oh well, nobody's perfect.)

Most importantly, Blake looked relaxed and happy for the first time in ages. She danced with Yang, with their friends and the visiting students, she laughed, she ate. She showered Yang with appreciative glances (Yang couldn't blame her, this dress was a good investment) and soft thoughts all night, even when they weren't together.

Considering Yang joined the planning committee primarily to create a perfect night for her soulmate, she'd be the first to admit that she did a pretty satisfying job.

Across the room, Blake shook her head fondly... Yang added that to her wins for the night.

* * *

As Mercury dropped to his knees, Yang felt Blake’s approval and admiration. As discussed, Blake only watched the match through Yang's eyes and only now did she open her own and cheer.

Yang's grin widened, wanting to preen even more. “Better luck next time,” she told Mercury cheerfully. He was glaring at her. 

Sore loser. She resisted the urge to make a face at him.

Blake chided her, and Yang gave a little wave to where she thought Blake was in the crowd. This sort of interaction never failed to feel like watching live feed of yourself from a security camera. Yang vastly preferred it when she and Blake shared the same physical bubble. 

“There’s not going to be a next time, Blondie,” Mercury growled, the sound immediately lifting the hairs on her neck. Her reflexes made her turn it time to see him charging at her.

If the different angles confused her in general, her mind couldn’t process what happened next at all. 

Mercury was about to kick her, with intent to kill in his eyes, but for a split second, in Blake’s point of view, he was… calmly approaching her?

Then Blake’s vision shifted like static to match hers, and Yang’s survival instincts kicked in. 

That was the first time the link messed up. Apprehension made her chest tighten despite her absolute certainty that she did nothing wrong.

Later, in the dorm room that turned into her prison cell, Blake rushed in to hug her. All the way there, Yang’s soulmate had been plagued with worry at the sight of her getting arrested and whirling confusion at what had occurred.

_I didn’t—_

_I know,_ Blake assured her, pulling away to look into her eyes. _I have no idea what happened, but I know you're innocent. Even if I didn’t have the link, I’d always end up trusting you. I promise._

Yang couldn’t help but to think of Adam, the changes Blake had to go through, and how for a moment, she saw things differently than Yang did. It was like a crack had appeared on the solid foundation that was the soulmate link, and Yang realized that she had grown dependent on it. She felt small and helpless, needy in a way that was far from typical. 

And yet. 

_I need you on my side, Blake._

Blake’s gaze softened, and she kissed the top of Yang’s head. _I am. I will be, alright? We'll figure this out together._

* * *

Extremely traumatic events can sever a soulmate link, Professor Port had explained a little after they disclosed their connection. Blake had already known this, due to the dangers of the Faunus revolution and how amidst the brutality, the mental and emotional connection was cut off to protect the other half of the pair. It was mostly unintentional, but there were... special cases.

News to Yang at the time, this encouraged her to make sure the both of them took care of themselves despite the crazy shit they did as first years. Severance sounded like amputation, and she shuddered at the thought. Just. No.

It’s not permanent, Port had assured them. Once the pair makes eye contact again, the link will reset. Of course, the outcome when one of the pair didn’t make it was left unsaid. 

Now...

Penny… and _Ruby._ She needed to get to Ruby, oh fuck, where was her sister, Yang had to make sure she was okay, that she wasn't breaking apart, _whywasntshewithherlittlesister_ —

Blake cut into her thoughts, trying to calm her down. _Yang, I’m sure she’s fine. She’s our leader, she can take care of herself._

Yang could feel the dread, the black hole of utter _fear_ Blake was pretending she didn’t feel right now. Blake knew she felt it, Yang knew she knew, and so the loop went on. They both ignored it. Ignored the fact that Ruby’s soulmate was _ripped apart_ in front of their eyes, that their leader must be in _unimaginable despair—_

And shit was falling all around them. Beacon was in chaos. Yang almost felt their lives being burned, and _none of her loved ones were nearby for her to protect._

 _Right,_ was the thought she sent back, gritting her teeth. Steeling herself for battle, she made a plan with her available team mates, and went on to do what she could.

* * *

...

......

...

Extremely traumatic events can sever a soulmate link, Professor Port had explained. That information changed the little things, like Yang looking into meditation, Blake pushing herself to train even more. Little things that didn't really change much, just that they had something else to work on throughout their schooling.

In secret (as much of a secret Yang could pretend it was), the information made Yang love Blake more outwardly, the sentiment flowing out in hopes that fate will notice and understand that this connection was final. Yang would not accept anything less — Yang Xiao Long did not settle for anything other than what she wanted. Her link to Blake was practically a limb, a precious part of not just her body but literally her _soul,_ and she had no intention of losing it. 

Real funny how that worked out. 


	2. Chapter 2

The phantom limb healed. The wound stopped bleeding and the fresh regrew. It was a stump but with General Ironwood’s gift and support from her dad, it was whole again. Better, even.

Yang couldn’t say the same about her soul, though.

Or her mind, for that matter, but at least Dad could help out with the trauma, with making her stronger, faster, smarter. To his greater credit, he tried opening the topic of her soulmate several times.

She was _not_ going to ask Taiyang Xiao Long for help regarding the soulmate who left her. Not after what happened with Raven. She refused to do that to him. 

Not that she _needed_ help. She just needed to be herself again so that she could go help Ruby. She had to apologize for how she acted the last time they saw each other, and continue backing up her little sister.

She just needed to be herself again. ( _Stronger faster smarter better._ )

She was herself, mostly. A few nightmares here, a few hallucinations there, but the Yang that was whole and happy was in there somewhere.

Right?

* * *

When Yang was younger, she thought that if she could just find Raven and have one conversation, she wouldn’t feel so incomplete anymore. Raven was speaking now, giving her more information than she ever expected right in the heart of her tribe. 

Little Yang would’ve been ecstatic. Now, Yang had been listening for far too long about things that wouldn’t change the fact that she just wanted to get to Ruby. 

_I’m done letting ghosts distract me._

“You need to question everything,” Raven said. “Otherwise you’ll end up just as blind as Qrow… or your fool of a father.”

Before Yang knew it, she had blown the tea table with its stupid fucking tea set into smithereens. “Don’t you _dare_ talk to my family like that!”

She heard Vernal draw her weapon. “You need to calm down.”

“Yang—” Weiss tried.

Raven, of course, mocked this the way she spat on everything that was good and full of love. “Listen to your friend, Yang. Your teammates never let you down before.” 

Yang flinched, stumbling back. Raven looked on in challenge. 

_Does she know about—_ The headache began, the way it did whenever she expected someone else to reply to her thoughts. 

Stop. _It doesn’t matter._ _I’m_ _stronger now._ ( _You don't need anyone else_.)

She half-expected herself to ask Raven why, to pour out a version of the script she’d written in her head since Summer died, to demand answers, but nothing came out.

“You don’t know anything about my teammates, or about me,” was all she said. Her soul was just so, so tired of yearning for people who didn’t want to stay. 

Raven looked surprised, as if she had also expected to be barraged with questions and accusations. Maybe she had prepared some grand justification for everything. Maybe Little Yang would’ve eaten it all up.

“I just want to make sure my sister is safe. Please.” _Just let me go._

In some sick twist, Raven was suddenly offering her home, her magic, her information. Promising a fresh start if Yang stayed.

Little Yang would’ve been ecstatic.

 _I just want to go to Ruby, and say sorry. Tell her that I love her, too._ ( _She loved you at your worst. She was the only one who left because you_ told _her to._ )

Right before Raven opened the portal, Yang approached her.

“Did you ever find them?” she asked quietly. “After you left us? Have you found your soulmate?”

Red eyes hardened, and Yang translated that easily enough. 

She half-expected it to feel like a victory, like something to gloat over, or an opportunity to build a relationship with her blood mother. 

“I see,” was all she said, because she wasn’t Little Yang anymore. ( _Then why do you feel so small?_ )

* * *

“Yang, I... I'm so sorry! I— I should've stayed, and I should've talked to you more! I'd—I just… I wasn't sure if you wanted me around and—” 

Yang silenced her sister with a hug. Gentler than she’d ever hugged her before. “I love you.” ( _Make sure you won’t mess up again._ ) _I won't._

With that, she got back to her sister, to her friends, to her irresponsible but loving uncle. To her weird-ass professor, too, but at least Oscar seemed cool. 

She was home in a way, even if there was a long road ahead. Her nightmares lessened, the days tiring her out. There were no hallucinations of Adam, either, not when her friends were always getting in her face in the best of ways.

The catch was that being in a team of three instead of four meant more scrutiny among those remaining.

Eventually, she snapped at the two she had left because they could _see_ her when she refused to look at herself too closely. 

( _You’re supposed to be stronger now._ )

“You were her soulmate, Yang,” Weiss said after finding her and pushing into her space. ( _Because that’s what friends do. They’re not supposed to_ leave.) “You of all people should know that she has her own version of loneliness, too.”

Yang _did_ know, or she thought she knew. “I _was._ Am. I _don’t know_ ,” Yang replied, feeling tears well up. “She left, and now I don’t know if any of it was real.”

“What do you mean?”

“She was in my head and in my _soul_! You wouldn’t und— the link was something only we felt. It was only real to us and only when we were together.”

“Yang…”

“And now she’s not here. She’s not _here._ ” What if she never came back, despite what their friends said? Even worse, what if she came back and Yang would _still feel incomplete_? “And why would I want her back if it meant confirming that she left in every way? That nothing would ever be the same again, that I would always be _half_ of something!”

“That’s not how the link works—”

“Soulmates aren’t supposed to abandon each other! _That’s_ not how it works.” She stood up and paced by the window. Curling up and sobbing wasn’t her. She needed to move, to let out the distress in _some_ way, even in this suffocating room.

( _You’re supposed to be stronger now._ )

Ruby’s voice called out to her from the doorway. “She’s still out there, Yang.” They both turned around, and Yang wiped her eyes, cringing at her stupid complaining when Ruby’s soulmate was _dead_.

“Ruby, I’m sorry—”

Her sister sped across the room and hugged her. “No, I’m concerned about you. You have to remember that she’s still alive, that there’s still a chance for you two to make up.”

( _You’re supposed to be stronger now._ )

Yang buried her face in Ruby’s shoulder. “I don’t want to be left alone again. I, I—” She heaved, then made her confession. “I don’t want her back again, even if she wanted to be.”

Weiss gasped behind them. “Yang—”

“My soul’s all mangled up, Ruby,” she said, pulling away to look her sister in the eyes. “You feel it too, don’t you? But it’s different for me, because she _chose_ to leave.” Tears streamed down her face, unending. She hadn’t cried this much since she was a child. “I don’t want to risk any more of myself, is that so wrong? I want to be my own person again.”

She was being a total mess, she knew, but she had to let it out somehow. The whole soulmate thing was more trouble than it’s worth, if you dig past the emotional attachment. Ren and Nora were so lucky, she thought absently. 

“Yang,” Ruby said, cradling Yang’s face. Her eyes had that serious glint it sometimes had. “Yang, you _are_ your own person. That never changed.”

“We all are,” Weiss added. “Soulmate or not. The connection is just… a perk, if you think about it. We talked all about how it was an advantage, and it is. But it’s not supposed to erase you. I don’t have first-hand experience, of course, but...”

“‘Other half’ isn’t supposed to be literal. Penny...” Ruby took a deep breath. “Was important because she was Penny. Melding minds and stuff gave the first push, and made it _way_ easier for us to understand each other, but… People aren’t broken without the link, I think.” 

Yang scoffed. _That_ didn't seem true at all. “Dunno. I think Uncle Qrow was right to avoid the whole mess.”

Weiss snorted, much to her surprise. “I’m sorry, but your uncle definitely has issues behind that.”

“And of course it sucks, Yang!” Ruby barrelled on. “It always hurts when you lose someone important to you! Especially people really close, right? That’s all the link does.”

“It’s a tool for connection but it doesn’t change _you._ The people do, and that just happens to include your soulmate.” Weiss quirked her lips. “Being separated from all of you heathens was painful. I still miss Blake, and I’d like to think you all missed me too.”

“Aw, of course we did, Nice Weiss!” Ruby pulled them both into a hug. Yang stayed quiet, feeling unsatisfied.

“In short, you’re still Yang,” Weiss concluded when they pulled away. “Horrible things happened, so you just need a bit of help.

“I’m supposed to be stronger now,” Yang said automatically.

“Oh Yang,” her sister cried. “You _are_ strong. Strength is your whole thing! But you can’t be strong all on your own all the time. None of us can. We need our friends.”

“I agree. I know I wouldn’t be around if I didn’t consider you all my family.”

Yang stayed silent. The absence still hurts, but she tried to see it the way the other two did. It was a little comforting that they believed she was still herself, even if she doubted it. 

Talking to her friends made it easier to lay out her thoughts, though. She felt able to untangle bits of the mess now. For one thing: _Which is it, dummy? Is it your failure or the fucking link?_

Ruby and Weiss seemed to think it was neither. _Maybe life just sucks sometimes._

That was the thing though. Whoever or whatever was to blame, it didn’t change the fact that she still felt like complete shit. She hated it, and in turn wanted to burn any bridges to any possible causes. 

She was _angry_ , damn it. She was _hurting._ People still _left_. 

“It’s okay that you’re mad at Blake,” Weiss told her, as if reading her mind. Ruby nodded, and Yang barely withheld the sigh of relief. “It’s _okay_. But maybe try thinking of her not as your soulmate, but as a person with her own thoughts and reasons, like how you should be thinking of yourself. And please… at least listen to her when she comes back?”

For them, Yang relented. “If she comes back.”

Ruby grinned, which made the promise a little bit worth it. “And for now, the three of us have each other!”

* * *

In the end, it was way simpler than she imagined.

Yang was alone in her head, and then she wasn’t. Blake had come back.

_Yang?_

Then, she had to run. Thankfully she managed, because the Relic was really fucking important.

Still, she couldn’t help but check Blake for injuries and felt Blake do the same. _The Aura boost worked for both of us, then,_ Blake sent tentatively.

_Watch out for the others. Watch out for Ruby._

Yang didn't have time to air out all their issues when Raven was in front of her.

Spring Maiden. Huh. Buy one take one on surprises tonight. There was a flash of hurt in the back of Yang’s mind.

 _Focus on your own fight,_ Yang thought harshly, speaking to herself as well.

“What happened to the last Spring Maiden? Did she die in battle? Sickness?”

Raven’s face revealed more than she probably wanted it to. “What does it matter to you?” she spat. 

Yang felt sick to her stomach. “You... How could you?!”

“That’s how the world is, Yang. I did what I had to—she was scared, weak, pathetic. No matter how much we trained, she never learned no matter what she did!”

It was Blake who noticed first, and Yang completely forgot about their rift.

 _Blake, surely even my mom…_ “Was she—” Yang swallowed. “Was she your soulmate?”

The silence was telling. So was the way Raven widened her eyes. She looked horrified, but it was nothing compared to the revulsion that engulfed Yang, and in turn Blake.

“Shit. _Shit,_ ” Yang whispered, staggering back. “You killed your soulmate. You _killed_ your _soulmate._ ”

“There was a target on her back and I saved her from it. She wasn’t cut out for this world!”

“Shut up, you _left_ us to find her. Your family, your flesh and blood. And when you found her... what? She was _also_ a disappointment, so you cut ties with her, too? She fell short so you decided that you could do better alone and took all that power?”

“You know nothing,” Raven said coldly. “She would’ve been hunted by Salem her entire life. It was mercy.”

“Yeah, sure. Fuck. You know, you’re obviously afraid of Salem, we get it.” Yang pushed back the bile rising in her throat. “But don't you think you should also be afraid of yourself?”

Fuck, she couldn’t handle this. She was shaking, absolutely _reeling—_ she thought she understood that her mother was selfish and ruthless, but she was unprepared for this shit—

_Yang, do you need m—do you need Ruby or Weiss to come down? I think we can manage._

Yang allowed the concern and care to curl around her, relaxing a tad.

 _No, thanks._ She could do this. She was scared of everything about this situation, but she could do this.

It helped that she wasn't alone, and that _all_ the people she loved were waiting for her to come back.

* * *

Returning to her friends and family, she just… couldn’t speak about what happened in the vault. She handed the Relic to Qrow, who seemed to understand that she needed space. 

“Well, we’re all glad you’re still here, firecracker.”

She hugged him, because he was her uncle who grew up in the same circumstances as Raven, yet made entirely different choices. She was glad he was here, too.

“Yang?” He studied her face in concern but eventually nodded, pushing her in the direction of her team.

She dropped next to Ruby, who was the first to speak to Blake. Her soulmate was feeling out of place, fearing rejection yet maintaining hope.

Their faces reflected each other’s when Blake said that she wasn’t going anywhere.

“That’s all that matters,” Ruby said, looking at Yang hopefully. “Right?”

Yang totally disagreed. In the calm, some of her anger and bitterness returned. Doubts that made Blake flinch inwardly and want to curl up into a ball. She accepted them all the same. 

Without having to try, they read each other’s growth during their time apart. Later, Ruby, Weiss and Blake would exchange stories out loud and would probably take a few hours. For Yang and Blake, it took a few seconds. 

The link itself was the same, but Yang felt different. They both did. Weirdly, that difference felt... good. It confirmed what Ruby and Weiss were saying about how she still had her agency.

The sheer relief that brought allowed her to be a little more open than planned. 

_I’m really fucking upset with you,_ she thought, as if Blake didn’t already know. 

Blake gave a tiny nod, no judgment or justification in her thoughts. _All I ask is that you give me a chance to make it up to you. Please?_

The weight inside Yang lifted just a tiny, tiny bit.

“Yeah,” she said, making Ruby cheer and Weiss let out the breath she was holding. “Yeah, alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yang still meets the parents later though, and she hits it off with Ghira through bad jokes despite the tension with Blake, yay
> 
> Also, writing unplayful Yang was...different. I've never written angsty bumbleby before! Speaking of which, it may not be obvious but her Ch2 thoughts in parentheses were representing the space Blake used to fill.
> 
> Next in this series will be Ruby-Penny, with a dash of Renora, and some exploration of Jaune and Oscar's situations. Please do subscribe if you think you'd be interested! In any case, thanks for reading <3
> 
> [Link to my tumblr!](https://robin-ess.tumblr.com/)


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